The BMW S 1000 R - The Verdict from Visor Down!

"It’s an astonishing piece of engineering from BMW. The time taken to move your wrist – that’s how long it takes to establish its greater strength in the lower part of the range."

"This BMW is the proof that aggressive torque is not the same as on/off torque. It will fire you down any straight with just as little effort but it understands if you just need to trickle through a village, or around a mini roundabout at 10mph."

" This is what a good motorcycle is like – it shouldn’t be a challenge to ride it, any more than a kettle should offer obstacles to boiling some water."

" the S 1000 R casts a thousand-watt halogen bulb on the shortfall by having brakes as outstanding as the rest of it."

It’s not for any of these considerations that the S1000R wins this test. It’s because, with its smoother-feeling engine and stronger mid-range, it’s the one I think an average rider like me can exploit more performance from. It's also the one that seems to better fit the remit of a brutal naked bike, a superbike with the faring torn off.

It’s not so much a criticism of the Yamaha – because that’s amazing too – as a testament to how good the S1000R is.